My Sanctuary
by heartbeat7
Summary: Beth Carter has suffered under Gotham City. Lost and confused about her place in the city of darkness, she finds herself the sole witness to a mob murder. With her life at stake she finds herself in constant peril and in need of a hero. She just didn't expect it to be Bruce Wayne, billionaire playboy and the Batman.
1. Money Makes the World Go 'Round

Beth can't help but notice the way that Gotham City feels. There's something almost alluring about knowing the streets are dangerous and spending the night locked away in another charity ball. It's as if there are two worlds: the one she's currently trapped in that involves dresses, suits, and making yourself out to be a big shot and the underground that's covered in shadows and territories and thugs of all shapes, sizes, and colors. She sits on the border. Her arms rest on the railing of the balcony where just below she can see the flicker of movement in the black night. She could so easily be swept away by the night. And yet the doors behind her open up to a world of riches and arrogance, it's all an illusion. What makes these people in their expensive clothes any better than the ones below struggling to survive?

She's snapped awake when the door opens and a rush of warm air reaches her arms. "You shouldn't be out here. You'll get sick" her uncle scolds lightly.

"I know" she says and takes one last look down below. Then she turns and smiles at Uncle Tom. "I was just getting some air. It gets a little stuffy in there."

He nods, knowing the feeling exactly. He may be the one who has risen to fame and fortune, but even he finds the unnecessary amount of balls and events tiresome. "There does seem to be a lot of hot air in there" he laughs.

Beth laughs as well. "Almost ironic seeing as this is a _charity_ event."

He nods and holds the door open for her. She takes one last breath of fresh air before stepping inside. Not surprisingly, no one has missed her or even noticed her absence. Her uncle, however, who's only been missing for a minute, is immediately swept up and taken out of sight to schmooze some businessman or other. The immediate Carter family is that that is under scrutiny. Her aunt Lina is crowded by the wives of dignitaries. Only Beth escapes the limelight as the niece and therefore not a direct heir to any fortune.

Over the years she has developed a system for handling these sorts of things. When she was a child, she used to escape easily and explore the grounds or else was doted upon by any couple that did not yet have a child and was looking for a little girl to spoil with compliments. As a teen she escaped the few that she did attend by making friends with anyone close to her age for the night. Now however, as a 28 year old, the only friends she makes are bartenders and the occasional bored-out-of-his-mind waiter.

She's already learned the name of this bartender even though she's only had one drink. Beth pulls up a seat close enough that she and Mike can have an actual conversation. "Welcome back Miss Carter."

Beth can't help but laugh. "Shh Mike! You're going to blow my cover and I'm going to have to go dance with some guy trying to make a deal with my uncle."

"What do you want me to call you then?" he asks and starts to mix a drink.

"Just Beth" she says. "If anyone asks I'm your cousin or something."

He smiles and nods. "Alright. So how long you think you'll have to stay at this thing?"

She groans and rests her chin in her hands. "Until it ends. We can never duck out early. Uncle Tom's always trapped by a bunch of guys trying to make business deals, mergers, or get him to invest in something pointless."

"You could leave on your own" he points out.

"If I had an excuse, which I don't" she notes.

"Well aren't there other people your age around?" He smiles hopefully and for a moment Beth thinks he's already tired of her company.

"Are you trying to get rid of me, Mike?" she asks in a teasing tone.

He shakes his head and when he does she realizes that his hair is pretty long and held back by a ponytail at the nape of his neck. "Nah, just trying to find a way for you to actually enjoy this thing. A lot of people in Gotham could never even imagine attending something like this."

"They don't know how awful it really is. I'd rather be at home with friends and family than be at something like this."

Mike smiles at her sadly. He may have only known her for a few hours, but it's obvious this isn't the life she would choose. "Doesn't exactly have the fairy tale ring, does it?"

Beth shakes her head sadly. Then, in the spur of the moment, she leans forward on the bar. "You know what my dad used to do whenever Uncle Tom invited us to one of these things? He would take me and my mom and on the way over we would make up aliases and pretend we were royalty or something stupid like that. Uncle Tom would just laugh when I would introduce myself as Princess Paraplop of London and my dad would say he was the Duke of China. You can't imagine how many people would turn and Google our names and see if we were real or not. We got security called on us more than once" she laughs and smiles with a far off look in her eyes.

Mike doesn't say anything as he watches her remember. Her eyes are cloudy and far off. He's heard of Tom Carter but never any brother of his. He must have died a long time ago.

A man down the bar motions Mike over. He buys two drinks but only takes a sip of one. He's dressed in an expensive suit that Mike can't identify and his hair is a bit longer than that of the majority of the other businessmen. He is younger as well. For a second, the man's eyes dart down the bar. He nods to Mike and then disappears with his drink to the edge of the crowd of people, not far enough away so that she can still see him.

Mike hands a rather fancy looking drink to Beth and stops her when she starts to protest. "Courtesy of the gentleman over there." Beth follows his nod to the man who's leaning against a marble pillar and trying to look casual.

Beth shakes her head but takes a sip anyway.

"How often does that happen?" Mike asks out of curiosity and only when he's sure that no one else is around to hear. If Mr. Harper, the host, walked by he'd be fired on the spot. He was told to serve and not make any kind of casual conversation with the guests.

Beth shrugs. "It depends on the stock market. If Carter Research International is doing well then maybe twice. If not, then it doesn't happen at all and I'm ignored."

"You're awful cynical" he notes with a smile to try and lighten the tone.

She smiles surprisingly. "Not cynical, real. I know when men are just puffing out their chests to make more money. It's all about money in this world" she says and waves her arms around casually.

Mike wipes a glass clean and drops ice into the bottom delicately. "Yes, but world isn't?"


	2. Welcome Home

"Why on earth would you want to stay?"

Beth shrugs under the eyes of her aunt and uncle, neither or which seem too pleased with her at the moment. "I don't know. There's just something about Gotham. I feel like I'm meant to be here. I can't really explain it."

"Of all the places though…" Uncle Tom places a hand on Lina's shoulder to stop her. They share a quick glance in which nearly a thousand words are spoken and they come to a small agreement. But of course, that doesn't stop her from trying still. "Matt just got back from Iraq" she tries to guilt her niece.

It works for a second and Beth considers this. She hasn't seen her cousin in over a year and there is so much for the two of them to catch up on. Matt has been her older brother all her life and now that he's back, how could she stay away from him?

Of course Matt chooses that exact moment to enter the kitchen. He wipes sleep from his eyes and his hair is pointing in all different directions. He wears only a pair of old sweatpants and smiles when he sees Beth.

"What is this about me being back?"

"I want to stay in Gotham" Beth says and turns back to give her uncle a pleading smile. "I just feel it's right for me."

Matt makes his way to the fridge and pulls out the milk carton. When his mom isn't looking, he takes a gulp straight from the carton before putting it back in the fridge. Beth smiles at this. Things have been much too organized and dainty without Matt around. "I don't see what the problem is" he says and takes a seat next to Beth and swings a lazy arm around her shoulders. "She's 28. If she wants to move out, let her."

"It's not that she's moving out" Aunt Lina persists. "It's that she's moving to Gotham. You all know how unsafe it is" she reminds them and glares quickly at her husband. Tom's reply is to tuck a strand of black hair behind her ear and kiss her cheek which doesn't calm her down in the slightest.

Matt shrugs. "And you guys didn't want me going to Iraq. I'm pretty sure that was a hundred times more dangerous than Gotham and I'm still here. Plus, it's her decision."

Beth smiles at Matt and wordlessly promises to make it up to him somehow for his loyalty. "And I've been to Gotham countless times what with Wayne Enterprises" she reminds the family. "I know the city mostly."

"What would you do while you stay there? You'd be extremely bored." This is something that Beth hasn't taken into consideration. With the Carter family, she spends her time traveling mostly back and forth from China to New York where the Carter Research International building is located. And then whenever she's not attending an event she gets rushed around with her aunt to prepare for the next one.

"I'd get to make some real friends" she points out. "I can't really do that if I'm always traveling. And maybe I can actually put my degree to use. I didn't go to school for nothing."

Neither of the two parents mention that they'd never honestly expect Beth to work. Anything she wants they are happy to give her. But they had that fight years ago when Beth demanded to go to college. She has the same mentality as her father who did not like to accept gifts all the time. She'd much rather work for what she has than get it because she is a Carter.

Tom shares a glance with his wife. "If that's what you really want then it's fine with us" he says and Beth beams. "However, you're going to accept without any argument our gift to you."

"Which is?"

"An apartment."

Beth considers arguing but holds her tongue. She'd rather them pay for this and get to live on her own and start to make her own money. She nods and then hugs her uncle and then aunt. "Thank you both so much!"

"You'll still be attending the event at Wayne Manor with us, right? It's only a few days away."

Beth nods. "Of course I will. I'll stay here with you until you leave for New York and then I'll move into an apartment."

"A nice apartment" her uncle adds. "One as nice as this hotel."

As if for the first time, Beth takes a look at their hotel room. It can't honestly be called that because of its sheer size and magnitude. The place looks more like a palace. There are multiple rooms and the whole thing is larger than Beth's childhood home. She doesn't point out how she'd much prefer something small and warm.

"I'll miss you, you know" Matt says when the two of them escape to the streets of Gotham. "I feel like I've missed you grow up."

"You haven't been gone that long. Not that much could have changed" she points out and dodges a man that runs down the sidewalk with a stack of papers in his arms.

Matt shakes his head. "Your hair is shorter. And you seem happier."

"I could say the same for you" she laughs and runs her hand across his cropped black hair. "And as for the happiness, I've just stopped letting things bother me."

"So no new boyfriends then?"

"No" she laughs. "Not since you left. The last one left quite the bad taste. I swear I'm done with all these guys only asking me to dinner or to dance for some kind of business proposition. I need to meet some men outside of the business world."

"Want me to set you up with a soldier?" Matt teases.

"Hmm… I'll think about it."

He laughs. "I don't think you should let it get to you. One day you'll see it can actually be quite fun. You always have a dance partner and there's always a pretty girl on your arm" he says and smiles.

"You really missed it didn't you?"

"Of course I did. Don't get me wrong, it was nice for a little while just to be another one of the guys, but I think I'm in turn for some spoiling" he says and smirks.

"Well it shouldn't take long" she says when she notices a pretty blonde at the corner staring at Matt. "That one has her eyes on you. I wonder if she recognizes you."

He glances at her briefly and then shakes his head. His arm wraps around Beth and he pulls her close. "You know you're the only blonde for me!"

They walk another block or so before stepping into a small café. Beth grabs a table while Matt orders. "I hope you're still obsessed with mint" he says and hands her a peppermint hot chocolate.

"Thanks."

They spend an hour catching up. Matt talks briefly about his time in Iraq. He doesn't go into too much detail but Beth doesn't push. She's not sure what he saw in war but will wait for him to be ready to discuss it. She, meanwhile, lets him know all about the company and what he should expect as he starts to learn the business and take it over. That was the deal of course. Matt pursued his dream of being a pilot in the army for a few years and then would return to go to college and take over Carter Research International. Beth also touched on her time spent in China.

Matt stops her for a second and taps a woman on the shoulder. She seems annoyed until she sees Matt's face. He truly is charming with dark hair and eyes and a strong chin. His smile can light up a room. "Excuse me, can I borrow that?" he asks and motions to the paper in her hands.

"You can have it" she says with a huge smile. He smiles back and then shows Beth what has been distracting him for a few minutes now.

"It appears Mr. Wayne has also visited China."

Sure enough, the front page is a photo of Bruce Wayne in China, smiling at the camera with a charmed look in his eyes. "How about him for a new beau?" he teases.

Beth stares a second longer at his picture before shaking her head. "He's handsome but no. You know as well as I do he's no better than the rest. He's just a womanizer."

"I don't know" Matt says sounding honest. "It seems like a hoax. It looks like he is just acting that way for the cameras."

"And you say that because?"

"Because the guy always looks tired. So clearly he's a hard worker. He wouldn't have time for all of these girls."

"Or maybe all the girls are the reason that he's so tired all the time."

Matt shrugs. "I don't know." He lets the topic slide but smiles when he catches Beth eyeing the picture again. As much as he likes to see his near sister independent, he'd rather see her happy and in love. She's never admitted it to him but he can tell from the way that she stares longingly at couples on the street that that's all she wants. She wants to be married. And while she could always meet a man by chance, chances are once he finds out she's a Carter he'll take advantage of her family's wealth. Therefore the best man for his Beth is a man who is already wealthy. Then money will not get in the way of the romance.

"I will miss you terribly."

Beth scoffs and laughs. "Yeah right, you're just going to miss me distracting Aunt and Uncle so that you can get away with everything. Now their attention is going to be on you."

Matt ignores this for the moment. "You'll be careful right?"

"Yes" she says, taking on his serious tone.

"And you'll promise me that you won't go out at night unless absolutely necessary or you're with someone?"

"By someone you mean…?"

"A guy" he says without missing a beat.

"Of course you do."

"Beth, a guy can protect you. You know what happens at night."

She nods, understanding his worry. "There's always Batman" she adds lightly.

Matt smiles and squeezes her hand that is resting on the table. "If Batman ever sets his eyes on you I can guarantee he's never going to let anything bad happen to someone as pretty as you."


	3. Event at Wayne Manor

Beth fidgets in the back of the limo. She's never been used to the attention that such cars draw and especially in Gotham. They may as well ask every man with a gun to mug them. And she doubts that the 70 year old driver will be much of a deterrent. A strong wind could knock him over.

Matt grabs her hand when she moves to adjust her black dress again. "You look fine" he says and smiles at her. She smiles as well and relaxes into the seat. She actually does feel beautiful tonight. Her dress is black with a black lace layer on top. The front is short and stops mid-thigh and then fans out into a long dress in the back that lays on the ground. Along the top of the dress and the hem is a wave of lace. Her shoes are simple black heals.

Matt tucks a curl of blonde hair behind her ear. "Am I going to have to fight off a crowd of guys?"

Her uncle hears this and jumps in. "Oh yes, I think they'll give you some trouble. You should see the guys that buy her drinks at these sort of things."

Matt raises his eyebrows at this. "Oh?"

Beth shakes her head. "Don't worry. They're just a bunch of guys looking for a business deal. And hey, I get a free drink out of it."

Matt laughs but in the back of his head, he's worried.

They reach Wayne Manor and Beth stares out the window. The front grounds are crowded with a multitude of rich cars and limos. There are many flashes of cameras along the front walkway and stairs. The man parks the limo and walks around to the side of the limo to hold the door open for the Carter family.

"Thank you" Beth says when she steps out. She waits for Matt to climb out as her aunt and uncle have already moved toward the entrance of the mansion. She's blinded by the flashing lights and tries her best to smile.

As soon as the two of them enter the mansion, an older man with white hair greets them. "Good evening Mr. Carter, Ms. Carter."

Matt smiles and nods as does Beth. "Where do you think Mr. Wayne is?" she asks her cousin. But when she turns she sees that Matt is gone. He's in fact nowhere that she can see. "Come on Matt" she sighs. He's played this game before. He used to do it when they were teenagers. Matt would walk her in the door and then duck out and hide somewhere until they could leave. If she had to guess, he'd been around the single women circle.

The circle is the last place Beth wants to be. The single women circle forms at nearly every event. While the women in relationships hang around their men, the single women migrate together and gossip and talk about all the women with men. It's jealously that causes them to talk. Thus Beth always avoids them, not wanting to become one of them.

Beth sighs and strolls through the mansion, avoiding eye contact with most people. All of them seem foreign to her. She makes her way into what she assumes is normally a foyer but has been transformed into a dance floor. Large, thick windows run all along the back wall and let in streaks of moonlight. A DJ sits in the corner. His equipment is decorated with strings of gold lights. The whole room is decorated with gold painted flowers and thick drapes. Couples dance in the center of the room and a ring of single men and women has formed around them.

Beth backs away from this and heads towards the clusters of people further back. Most of them are talking business and the few that aren't are making comments about the girl in the navy dress who has let quite a lot show in the last hour. Modesty is not exactly her policy.

She slinks her way to the very back and disappears against the wall. For some time she is just happy to observe the couples dancing. Without realizing it, she smiles and sways slightly to the music, imagining herself dancing only a few feet away.

"You look like you want to join them."

Beth jumps a mile in the air and clutches at her heart to stop the thunderous pounding. She turns on her heal and frowns. He is the same man from the last charity ball, the one that bought her the drink and never said another word to her. His dark hair is neat and his smile travels up to his eyes.

"Mr. Wayne" she acknowledges him and turns her gaze back to the dancers.

He watches the way she crosses her arms over her chest in self-consciousness. She turns slightly away from him and this only makes him smile. She's a challenge and that makes his smirk grow.

"Would you like to dance?" he asks.

Beth turns and smiles in a false way at him. "No thanks."

Bruce only shrugs and leans up against the wall next to her. "Alright, then we'll just stand here."

Her smile drops. Bruce notices this out of the corner of his eye and smirks. Beth turns so that she can stare directly at Mr. Wayne. "What exactly is it that you want?" Her tone is sharp but it doesn't deter Bruce in the slightest. Rather, he is intrigued even more by the girl.

"One dance" he answers with a smile.

"And will one dance give me my own space?"

"Of course" he says.

Beth sighs and closes her eyes to think for the second. Men have made offers like this in the past and she's always refused. Yet none have ever been as persistent as this one. That worries Beth. But he promises to stay away once they've danced. And while that may not be the best promise to hold him to, she does.

"Alright."

He bows slightly and holds his hand out for hers. She gives it to him and he leads her through a crowd that parts for them to enter the dance floor. Beth can feel her hand grow warm in his. She keeps her eyes on the floor and thus misses the glance that Bruce gives to the DJ. A slow song begins to play, one that Beth recognizes immediately and that draws her eyes off the floor and to Bruce.

"Moonlight Serenade. It's one of my favorites" he says and places his hands on her waist.

"I find that rather surprising" she admits. Her arms move to his shoulders.

He leads naturally and she falls into step with him. "And why is that?" he asks as they sway back and forth.

Before Beth can answer, he spins her once before pulling her back in his arms. Smoothly, he drops his hands a little lower, down to her hips. She either doesn't notice or doesn't chastise him and this causes his grin to widen.

"Because Mr. Wayne…"

"Bruce" he corrects her. He grabs her hips and lifts her off the ground in a spin. The long back of her dress flares out in the spin. "You can call me Bruce."

"Bruce then" she says and he notices the way her brown eyes catch the light and shine. She has the most beautiful eyes he's ever seen before. "I find it strange because this song is quite old. I'd picture you liking something more modern."

"Like?" he asks with a teasing smile.

"One of those club songs. Something about getting laid and treating women like objects."

He doesn't let any sign of offense show Beth notices. Maybe that doesn't offend him. "How would a lovely lady like you know what music clubs play?"

Beth smirks in turn. She steps closer to Bruce so that the space between the two of them is only the width of a deck of cards. "I think you know" she says.

He nods. "I have a feeling you're not as sweet and innocent as you appear. You better keep out of trouble Missy."

She shakes her head. "If you're Bruce, then I'm Beth."

"Beth what?" he asks and lifts her again. Her face lights up. She feels as if she's flying for the moment and she closes her eyes in bliss.

"I can't remember the last time I've had so much fun" she says and smiles wide. It's absolutely true. No charity event has ever been fun before.

"That's because this is my party" he says with a smirk. "And no guy here dances like I do."

"I wouldn't know" she says. "I don't normally dance at these things."

Bruce frowns thoughtfully. "I'm sure you're always asked?"

Beth nods and smiles. "Yeah, I'm asked. But the guys that ask me normally have another agenda. They try and get me to get my uncle to sign some deal with them and make a ton more money." She reads his face for a few seconds, trying to judge if he's one of those guys.

He doesn't ask her who her uncle is though. In fact, he just smiles at her and swings her around to the music.

"You're not going to ask?"

"Ask what?" he says, eyes alight and seeming amused.

"My last name."

He shakes his head. "It doesn't matter."

At first, she thinks this is a beautiful thing to say. But having so little trust in these kinds of men, Beth thinks of a second meaning to his words and frowns. "Is that because you're expecting to ditch me and never see me again?"

"No…"

"Carter" she blurts out. "My name's Beth Carter." She bites her lip after hearing herself say it. Why did she do that? Now he does know who she is. But he said it didn't matter. He didn't even want to know her name. So why did she say it? Is she really that desperate to see him again that she'd just say her name all of a sudden? He is sweet. And he is extremely handsome. What is going on with her?

Carter. The name strikes him immediately. He glances at her again even though he had already taken quite a number of glances at her during the night. The Carter's have trademark dark black hair and dark eyes. Yet this girl is clearly blonde, her hair is almost white it is so light.

"You don't look like a Carter" he remarks.

"I look like my mother" she responds. The song ends and he dips her low before a round of applause erupts. Beth realizes that they have been the center of attention for a few moments and her cheeks burn when she sees a photographer a few feet away. She groans and Bruce only laughs.

"Thank you for this dance" he says and kisses her knuckles.

She smiles and her brain melts at the gesture. She is completely confused. Everything she's ever read or heard about Bruce Wayne paints him as a representation of all that is wrong with modern society. And yet here is this man who loves a classic song, can dance as well as she, and acts like a perfect gentleman.

"I think you owe me another" she whispers.

He still hears this though and returns his hands to her hips. "Why do I owe you?" he teases knowing that if he does he can make that pink color return to her cheeks.

"Because you've been stealing glances at me ever since I walked into the room. And now I'm cashing in for each one."

"Then we might be here all night" he whispers and leans close to her ear. She shivers from his warm breath tickling her skin. This time he moves closer until the space between them completely disappears.

She does blush. But she also surprises him. "I'm alright with that."

"You know," he says and spins her twice, "I'd love to see you again. Maybe I can take you on a date sometime."

It's not a question but she knows that it doesn't need to be. "I'd like that" she says and smiles. How have they moved from an unwanted dance to a date? It doesn't even seem to matter at the moment.

Bruce feels a tap on his shoulder and turns. "May I cut in?" he asks.

"Uncle" Beth says with a smile.

"Of course Mr. Carter" Bruce says. He smiles at Beth and then bows to her. She curtseys as well and the whole thing makes her laugh lightly.

"Oh and Mr. Wayne" Mr. Carter calls. He stays where he is, the three of them forming a small circle. "I expect to see you in person on Monday at the meeting. I hear you have a tendency to not be present at merger meetings."

Beth turns a glare on the Wayne boy. She snaps her wrist out of his hand. "Of course" she says with a tone like acid. "Of course." Without giving either of the men a chance to catch her, Beth storms out of the room.

She moves like a blind person. The mansion is a mystery to her but all she knows is that she needs to get away. Of course he would want to dance with her. Of course he'd want to date her. He is busy conducting a merger. He's about to make himself that much more wealthy.

"Beth!"

She hears him call her but continues to move against the crowd. A few of them stop to look at her but she keeps moving. Beth can hear the sound of footsteps quick approaching and so she moves faster towards the front entrance. The front walkway and steps are completely deserted because the cameras have moved to the inside of the manor. Just as Beth's stepping onto the second stair, someone grabs her elbow.

"Let me go, Mr. Wayne!" she snaps without even looking.

He lets her arm go immediately. It's a strange action and thus she stays. "You don't have to go" he says simply. "And that's not why I asked you to dance."

Beth turns on her heal and glares at him. "I'm sure" she snaps.

She hurries down the rest of the steps down to where a line of cars are waiting. The drivers of limos and a couple taxis are waiting with books and magazines for the event to end and the rich to return to the vehicles.

"Beth…"

"You can tell my family I went home" she yells without turning back. She scans the crowd of cars and chooses a taxi near the end; it'll be the quickest to pull out.

He reaches for her just as she's opening the door. She glares but stops when she realizes he's not looking at her. His attention is on the driver of the taxi. He looks back at her with sad, worried eyes. "Not this one" he says and shakes his head.

Beth scoffs and rolls her eyes. "What the hell gives you the right…?"

He places both hands on her shoulders and a fire ignites in her eyes. "Beth, let me drive you." There's a sense of urgency in his voice.

"I'm never getting in a car with you!" she growls and slides into the cab. She closes the door on Bruce's face. "The Harleton on 5th" she tells the cab driver.

And just like that Bruce Wayne watches Beth Carter drive away in a cab driven by a criminal.


	4. Gotham's Colors

She's angry as hell when they start moving. For a moment she turns so she can watch Bruce. He stares dumbfounded for a second and then moves quickly back into the manor. _Figures_, she thinks. He's already moved on. If he's lucky he can bring someone upstairs before the end of the night.

She groans and sinks back into the chair. The cab driver just laughs at her expression. He's a bigger man. His skin is dark and he has an even darker birthmark crawling up the right side of his face. He wears a red T-shirt and a ratty, old black jacket that looks as heavy as the ones firemen wear. His head is completely shaved and she can just make out the red ink of a tattoo peeking out from the back of his shirt.

It seems strange to Beth that the cab driver doesn't attempt to make conversation with her. She's been in quite a few cabs in New York and the drivers always try and talk. They think it will give them a better tip. Had she jumped in the way she just did in New York she would have been interrogated. And yet he seems disinterested. But she can't blame him. He may just as well be fed up with the business types as she is. What's another rich girl's drama to him?

A little part of her wants to extend an olive branch and tell him she's not like those people in there. But isn't she? What hardships could she know? She's had nearly everything handed to her on a silver plate. And he's probably had to struggle for everything just to survive. Yet she's not like them. She can see that she's privileged. She doesn't want anymore. In fact, she doesn't want any of it. She'd throw it all away just to live a simple life where she has to work hard with her parents. Those men and women at Wayne Manor don't get it. It will never be enough for them. There's always more to be had. But why?

Lost in her own thoughts Beth doesn't realize the wrong turn the driver takes. And as she stares blankly out the window cursing Bruce Wayne in her head she misses the way the taxi jumps as he drives over the bridge.

She wakes up when they enter the first cluster of apartments in the Narrows. Doors are hanging off hinges and half the windows are either missing or have large spider cracks or bullet holes in them. Curtains are replaced with old T-shirts. Cardboard boxes litter the alleys and streets. They have been melted down by rain and snow and left where they were thrown. A couple of guys hidden in shadow hang around on broken fire escapes. There is no sign of any women or children.

Beth holds in a breath to try and calm her heartbeat. She doesn't say anything about the driver taking her to the wrong place. Instead, she waits and tries not to set him off. Her heart races a mile a minute and she can feel her legs start to vibrate nervously.

After another minute she feels the cab start to slow down. There's a small cul de sac on her right. It is all old, broken apartments accept for the lower level of one building. It has a neon sign that has half the letters missing but Beth can still tell that it is a laundry service. The inside is dark. _No witnesses_, is her first thought.

She's done keeping him calm and tries to make small talk to distract him. It might be her last chance and she's not going to die without a fight. "You're meter is broken" she says carefully.

The cab driver nods simply. Beth leans forward, trying to catch sight of his eyes but he's leaned so that she can't see any of his face in the mirror. She places her hand on the door handle and moves closer without making a sound. "So how are you charging me?"

Tires squeal and Beth's hand slips away from the handle as she slides across the back seat. Her seat belt snaps and her head crashes into the opposite window. And then everything is black.

…

Alfred catches Bruce halfway down the stairs. He shoos away a maid who has been pestering him about which drinks to bring out for the last hour and follows Bruce up the stairs. He waits until they have hit the last stair where no one upstairs can hear before calling out. "Master Wayne?"

Bruce turns for a split second before continuing to run. He takes the stairs two at a time. Time is of the essence. He moves fast and starts running through the routine in his head so he doesn't have to think later. Alfred stops at the landing and calls to Bruce who is halfway down the hall. "Leaving so soon?"

He ignores the elder man for the second and plays a string of notes on the piano. Alfred arrives just as he's stepping into the cave. "Beth Carter's going to get herself killed" is all he says before hurrying in. Alfred only shakes his head and plays a second string to close the gaping hole in the wall.

Bruce impatiently waits for his suit to rise. Why did he ever design it to do that? For security? It seems pointless now because it is just a hindrance.

What the hell was she thinking? Beth didn't appear to be stupid and from what's he's heard from Tom Carter, she's actually quite bright. So why the hell would she storm off into a cab that she didn't take here and not even take a glance at the driver? Could she really have been that mad at him? But still, she should have noticed him immediately. He did so why didn't she?

He tugs on the suit in record time. The mask is pulled on over his face as he bolts for the tumbler. He would take the pod but Beth is going to need a place to sit. She's going to be pretty shaken up after this one. He's seen in a hundred times and shock is never pretty. Dead people he can handle. But shaken, desperate, terrified people are difficult to be around.

Armed with an array of gadgets and weapons, Bruce burns out of the cave and onto the street. He punches in the license plate number he'd memorized and picks up speed when he sees that the cab isn't moving anymore.

She better not do anything stupid. And she better be a fast runner.

…

Her hearing is the first thing that comes back. The streets are silent but she hears the click of a seat belt and a door opening. Just as another door opens, her vision starts to come back in blurry patches. She sees the cab driver open up the door her head is leaning on and she falls onto the seat in a heap of dizziness. He roughly shoves her back and climbs into the back of the cab with her.

She's becoming more and more aware as he grabs her face in two thick hands. "Now stay with me. Don't go to sleep" he says in a voice that sounds like sandpaper.

Just as her eyes completely return she is thrown back and the back of her head hits the other window. She doesn't lose consciousness this time however.

Beth's heart pounds in her chest. She has no idea what he wants but he's going to get it if she doesn't start moving. Her hand reaches for the door handle but the driver catches her wrist before she can. "Time to pay up, sweetheart" he growls and pins her shoulders against the seat.

His breath is deep and heavy and smells like cigarettes. His hands are about the size of her head and easily hold her in place. "What do you want from me?" She tries to sound strong but her voice cracks when he places his hand on her throat, holding both of her arms in one of his hands.

He leans forward and Beth recoils. For this he presses harder on her throat until she's seeing spots. His nose moves to her hair and he inhales deeply. His answer is haunting, "The only thing a woman can give a man."

She wastes not a second and digs her heal between his legs. The driver gasps in pain and nearly collapses into her lap. Beth takes this as her chance and quickly hammers her fist into the back of his neck. He's halted for the moment so she throws her weight at the door and falls onto the street. In the fall she feels the skin of her arm tear but she doesn't think about the pain and pulls herself up. One shoe slips from her foot and so she takes off the other as she begins to run.

The driver is not giving up. He yells at her, "You bitch! I'll kill you!" No one comes to Beth's aide. No sirens are heard and no one is about to come out and help. With all her might she throws her shoe at him, hoping the heal embeds itself in his eye.

Full of adrenaline and pure fear, Beth runs blindly through the streets. She makes random turns and ducks through alleys, hoping to lose her pursuer and keep him from following and making good on his threat.

All the apartments in the Narrows look identical in their feeling of pitifulness and it's easy to get lost. Remembering the basic outline of Gotham, Beth tries to listen for any sound of water to get back to the bridge. If she can get past the bridge she'll be that much closer to help and safety. All streets in Gotham are dangerous, but the Narrows are complete desperation and the blackest part of hell.

She doesn't call for help because she knows it won't come. And it's better to stay silent in case the man is listening for her. She can't possibly be worth the chase, but the women of the Narrows have surely learned to fight better than she has and she may be the best target. That's why she keeps running even after her heart feels like it is going to explode and her legs burn with a heat she didn't know was possible. Beth pushes herself to her absolute limits until she can hardly see straight or control her movements.

That's why she falls and lands face first in the street.

Her hands are bloody from the fall. She's shaky as she stands. Her head swings around to check for her pursuer. She doesn't see him but she catches two eyes watching her. Beth gasps and moves backward. The pair of eyes move to another shadow of man.

She doesn't know why she can't run. Something in her is keeping her grounded. She can't move away and stares blankly into the alley.

There are actually three men that Beth can make out when she squints. They all dress in dark colors to blend in. One of them is indirectly in the moonlight and she catches sight of a hooked scar trailing from one man's eye to his cheek. She backs up even further, hoping if her back hits a building she can melt into it.

Between the three is another lump of a man. Beth isn't sure if he's alive or not. He doesn't appear to be moving. And then a silver object makes itself known in the alley. Beth ducks, thinking the gun is aimed at her. However, the band echoes around the buildings and it is the fourth man that crumples rather than Beth.

The moment of security is fleeting however as a finger points in her direction. She doesn't wait to find out what they want. Taking gasps of air, Beth pushes herself even harder and tries to stick to the shadows as she runs. The men only send out one shot that hits a window only an inch from Beth.

She can't help herself and lets lose a scream. The fear makes its way to her legs and she begins to shake again. Her pace slows and she screams again, this time in agony that she isn't moving. It's as if she's caught in one of the dreams where she can never move fast enough.

A shadow jumps out at her and curls itself around her. She bites her lip until she draws blood as a round of shots begin. Yet none of them reach her. The rain of bullets doesn't stop as she looks behind her. She can't see the men anymore. Instead, there is black and more eyes watching her, this time much closer.

His arm wraps around her waist and he aims some sort of grappling hook at a nearby building. "Hold on" he roughly growls. She doesn't question him at all.

Beth clings to his arm for dear life as the two of them fly up towards the apartment. She braces herself for the impact but it never comes. Rather, Batman throws her up and onto the roof and drops down to the street with the thugs.

Beth doesn't watch but hears more gunshots. She also hears grunts but none of them seem to come from her masked hero. Eventually the guns stop firing and there is a chill of silence in the air. Beth tucks her knees into her chest and closes her eyes. _It can all disappear_. She catches herself rocking when a hand is placed on her shoulder. The hand is gloved and belongs to a man in a mask.

He says nothing but picks her up from the roof. She wordlessly wraps her arms around his neck as he jumps down the fire escape. Against his firm body she can really feel herself shake. Her whole body feels like it is no longer under her control.

Some kind of vehicle appears down the street and approaches them. It looks like something the military would drive. Batman approaches it casually and opens the top. He sets Beth down next to him before reversing and fleeing the Narrows.

Once again, Beth pulls her knees up, looking for some kind of comfort. "Are you alright?" the gruff voice asks.

All she can do is nod. "Thank you" she whispers and tries not to think about anything in particular.

She never tells Batman where she lives. Yet he drives confidently and takes her past the bridge and back to the Harleton. He stops the strange vehicle behind the hotel where no one can see. Beth doesn't move and so he scoops her up off the seat. For a moment he thinks she's gone completely into shock but then she glances up at him.

He brings her up to her balcony. She doesn't ask how he knows where she is staying and in turn he doesn't ask anything of her. He simply jumps back to the vehicle and disappears into the night, leaving Beth in a crumpled heap on the balcony near tears.

When Bruce returns Alfred is waiting. "So…?"

Bruce, still as Batman, shakes his head. "Remind me to bring flowers tomorrow. I need to apologize and make sure she's alright."

"Did you reach her in time?" Alfred asks.

"What is on time?"


End file.
